I Need You in Bloomington, MN

LeAnn Rimes
had been inching toward pop as the '90s grew to a close, but she truly lunged at the pop charts with the soundtrack to
Coyote Ugly
, providing the voice for
Piper Perabo
's star-struck, fledgling singer/songwriter. This was a prelude to 2001's
I Need You
, her first full-fledged pop album -- a crossover affair with more in common with
Faith Hill
's
Breathe
than
Shania Twain
Come on Over
. That means that its footing is squarely within adult contemporary pop, and it's heavy on ballads. Even when the tempo is kicked up a notch, as on
"You Are"
with its percolating drum machines, it's still mid-tempo AC pop. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially since she has a couple of good songs here (notably
"I Need You,"
"But I Do Love You,"
and the
Coyote
leftover,
"Can't Fight the Moonlight"
), but it's not the most natural move in the world, either.
Rimes
' impressive voice sounds restrained in this setting, too self-consciously mature. In a nutshell, that's the problem with
-- it's a teenager attempting to make a thirtysomething album. That she occasionally succeeds is a testament to her vocal talents and the skills of her producers, but it shouldn't be surprising that it also feels awkward for large stretches, never quite becoming as alluring as
, because this is a sound that she needs to grow into to be totally convincing. [The 2002 reissue features a different track order and five extra songs, including
"Light the Fire Within"
and several radio edits] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine